Safety cap for medicine bottle or the like



March 11, 1969 H. A, BURGESS 3,432,058

SAFETY CAP FOR MEDICINE BOTTLE OR THE L'IKE Filled June 12, 1967 VIIIII/ United States Patent O 10 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A safety bottle or container for medicine, poisons, or the like, having a cap adapted to be removed from the container in only one rotary position of the cap, and retained against removal in other positions by two lugs on the cap or container engageable with a ange on the other of the two parts. One of the lugs is shorter circularly than the other, and is adapted to move axially past the flange through a notch formed in the flange, which notch is too short to enable movement of the other lug therethrough. No notch is provided at any point through which the longer lug may pass, so that the cap can be removed in only one setting, and only by swinging movement of the first lug through its notch, followed by movement of the longer lug radially to a position in which it may pass the periphery of the ange.

Background of the invention This invention relates to a cap to be utilized for closing a container within which medicine or other dangerous substances are held.

Many attempts have been made to devise medicine bottles and similar containers having caps which are suficiently difficult for a child to open to prevent children from removing the contents of the container. As is well known, even many substances which are not actually poisons are in fact very dangerous in the hands of a child, as for instance is the case with such acommon medicine as aspirin, which can seriously harm or kill a child if taken in suilicient quantity. In spite of this known danger, and the -many attempts to provide safety containers in the past, I know of no such container which has solved the problem satisfactorily enough to warrant its adoption for wide scale commercial use. All of these prior arrangements of which I am aware have either been too easily opened to properly prevent access to the interior of the container by a child, or so complicated and expensive as to preclude their adoption for that reason.

Summary of the invention A cap formed in accordance with the present invention is so constructed that the average young child can manipulate it for a relatively extended period of time without deducing from the structure of the container and its cap or cover the only way in which the cap can be removed. At the same time, however, removal of the cover is relatively easy for an adult, and will usually be understood very rapidly with little or no explanation. Additionally, the cover and the interengaging portions of the container are so simple structurally as to enable their manufacture at extremely low cost, and in fact at a cost no greater than that of a simple threaded cap.

Structurally, a closure arrangement embodying the invention includes means forming a flange on either the container or cover, which flange coacts with a pair of lugs formed on the other of these parts. The flange and lugs are relatively movable into an interltting relation in which the lugs engage the flange in a manner locking the cover on the container. `One of the lugs is smaller than the other and is adapted to pass through a coacting notch in the flange, while the larger of the two lugs cannot pass through that notch or through any other interruption or notch in the flange. As a result, removal of the cap can be eifected only by swinging the cap so that the shorter lug passes through the notch to a position in which the other lug may then be moved radially out of intertitting engagement with the flange, to free the cover from the container. In any position except one rotary setting of the cover, the two lugs positively retain the cover against removal. Further, indicia on the cover and container may be provided for indicating to a user the proper removal position. Also, the notch is desirably so constructed as to have a snap fit engagement with the smaller of the two lugs, so that this lug must, even in the proper attachment and detachment setting of the cover, be forced or snapped axially through the notch.

Brief description of the drawing The above and other features and objects of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a safety bottle constructed in accordance with the inventon;

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary and interrupted axial section through the FIG. l bottle and cover, taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1; p

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 3a and 3b are reduced scale fragmentary views of the cover taken on lines 3a-3a and 3b-3b respectively of FIG. 2, with the container deleted from the views for clarity;

FIG. 4 is a View similar to FIG. 2, but showing the cover or cap as it is being swung into and out of its closed position of retention on the bottle;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing a variational form of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

Description of the preferred embodiment-ts Referring iirst to FIG. l, I have shown at 10 a safety bottle or container which may be utilized for holding a medicine or any other substance which should not be readily accessible to children. This bottle includes a main container section 11 forming a chamber 12 within which the medicine or other dangerous item is kept, and a cover 13 which is removably connectible to and adapted to close the upper opening `14 of container 11.

Container 11 may be considered las of essentially cylindrical conguration, having a cylindrical side wall 15 with inner yand outer concentric cylindrical surfaces 16 and 17 centered about the main vertical axis 18 of the container. At its lower end, the container is closed by a bottom wall 19. The inner cylindrical wall surface 16 may continue upwardly without interruption to the location of an upper end surface 20 which extends generally transversely of and 'annularly about axis 18, but which may taper gradually downwardly as it advances radially outwardly, as seen clearly in FIG. 2.

Externally, the surface 17 may continue upwardly with- `out interruption to fa location 21, upwardly beyond which there is formed in the outer surface of container 11 an yannular groove 22 centered about axis 118. This groove may be `defined by a radially inner cylindrical surface 23 centered about axis 18, and two upper and lower opposed side walls 24 and 25 of the groove. The lower of these walls, number 25, is annular about axis 18, and advances gradually downwardly as it advances radially outwardly, in frusto-conical relation. The upper wall 24 of the groove may have a radially inner portion 26 which advances directly radially outwardly for a short distance, directly transversely of axis 18, and beyond which the wall surface 24 of the groove is inclined upwardly to form a portion 27 flaring progressively away from lower wall surface 25, and gradually upwardly, as it advances radially outwardly.

The previously mentioned top surface of the container and the discussed wall 24 of groove 22 form the upper and lower surfaces of a flange 28 which projects radially outwardly from container 11, and is annular yabout axis 18 except at one location about the periphery of the flange, at which location the flange is interrupted by formation of a notch 29 in the flange (see right portion of FIG. 2). Except at that notch location, the radially outer extremity of flange 28 is defined by an annular typically straight cylindrical outer surface 30.

As seen clearly in FIG. 3, the notch 29 extends through only a small portion of the circular extent of flange 28 about axis 18, typically through approximately 2() degrees about that axis, Ibetween a first end wall 31 of the notch, and a second end wall 32. These walls 31 and 32 may be planar, and lie in planes which extend both axially and radially with respect to axis 18, and which may contain axis 18. The radially inner extremity of the notch may be defined by a surface 33 (FIGS. 2 and 3) which has the axial cross section illustrated in FIG. 2, and which extends arcuately about axis 18, as seen best in FIG. 3. The cross section of FIG. 2 may continue for the entire extent of the notch between the two walls 31 and 32. As will be apparent from FIG. 2, the surface 33 preferably tapers frusto-conically at an angle a with respect to axis 18, to advance gradually radially inwardly as it advances upwardly, with the angle a desirably being relatively small, say for example between 'about 5 and l5 degrees. At its lower extremity, surface 33 may meet the radially outer periphery of the directly transverse portion 26 of upper wall 24 of groove 22, while at the fupper extremity of surface 33, this surface may be at a diameter corresponding approximately to that of the radially inner wall surface 23 of groove 22.

The cap or cover 13 has a top wall 34 disposed transversely of axis 18, and defined at its upper and lower sides by planar surfaces 35 and 36 also disposed transversely of axis 18. At its periphery, wall 34 carries a depending essentially annular skirt 37, 'having an outer cylindrical surface 38 centered about taxis 18 in the closed position of the cover. Internally, skirt portion 37 of the cover has an inner straight -cylindrical surface 39 which is centered about axis 18 in the closed position, `and which is of a diameter only very slightly greater than the common diameter of outer surface 30 of flange 28 and of outer surface 17 4of the lower portion of the container. At the bottom of this cylindrical surface 39, skirt 37 of the cover integrally carries a pair of diametrically opposed radially inwardly projecting lugs 40 and 41, which may be shaped identically in axial section, as seen in FIG. 2, but with lug 41 having a circular extent x which is greater than the circular extent y of lug 40 (FIG. 3). As will be apparent from FIG. 3, the circular extent y of lug 40 corresponds to or is very slightly less than the circular length of notch 29 in flange 28, so that in the position of FIGS. 2 and 3, notch 40 may move axially through the notch to apply and remove the cover. Lug 41 is considerably longer circularly than notch 29, so that lug 41 cannot move axially through the notch even when turned to a position of alignment therewith.

To return now to the axial cross sectional configuration of lugs 40 and 41, as seen best in FIG. 2, it is noted that each of these lugs fits very closely within groove 22 of the bottle 11, and more particularly has a radially inner cylindrical surface 42 centered about axis 18 and of a diameter corresponding approximately to (or very slightly greater than) the diameter of inner surface 23 of groove 22, to closely engage that surface. At its underside, each lug has a transverse arcuate typically planar surface 41 disposed directly transversely of axis 18, while at its upper side, each lug may have a surface 43 which extends arcuately about axis 18, but which is of inclined cross section to advance gradually upwardly as it advances radially inwardly.

Downwardly beyond lugs 40 and 41, skirt 37 may have an inner slightly flaring frusto-conical surface 44, at the lower end of which the skirt integrally carries a removal tab 45 projecting radially outwardly from the skirt at a circular location corresponding to that of lug 40, with this tab 45 extending arcuately a short distance about axis 18. Directly above tab 45, the skirt 37 may contain an opening 46 extending radially therethrough and adapted to enable viewing therethrough of a small dot 47 formed on the outer surface of the side wall of bottle 11. Dot 47 is of a size corresponding to that of opening 46, and can be viewed only when the cover is in a proper rotary setting for removal from the bottle. If desired, the dot 47 may be merely an indentation in the outer surface of the bottle, to minimize the possibility that a child may notice the dot, or alternatively the dot may be colored to facilitate its viewing by an adult.

To now describe the manner of use of the device of FIGS. l to 4, assume first of all that the cover 13 is removed completely from bottle or container 11, and that it is desired to close the bottle. In order to apply the cover, a user may rst move the cover to the broken line position of FIG. 4 in which the cover is inclined at essentially an acute angle with respect to axis 18, so that lug 41 may be received radially opposite a portion of groove 22 of the container, while lug 40 is generally above notch 29. From this position, the cover is moved transversely of axis 18 to the full line position of FIG. 4, to thus move lug 41 into groove 22 at a location diametrically opposite the position of notch 29. Next, the right hand portion of the cover, which carries notch 40, is swung downwardly from the full line position of FIG. 4 to the position of FIG. 2, to advance lug 40 through notch 29 and into a position beneath the level of portion 26 of upper groove wall 24. As lug 40 moves downwardly to the FIG.. 2 position, the lug contacts outer inclined surface 33 of the notch, and either cams that portion of the container wall slightly radially inwardly, or cams the lug slightly radially outwardly, so that the lug 40 snaps downwardly past the notch and into groove 22. To enable this snap action, the cover and container are desirably formed of an appropriate resiliently deformable material, such as a suitable resilient resinous plastic material, for example, polyethylene of appropriate thickness. After the lug 40 has thus entered groove 22, the cover 13 is turned about axis 18 relative to container 11, to lock the cover on the container.

With the cover in this condition, it cannot be easily removed by a chil-d, since the child can turn the cover freely about axis 18 relative to the container, to any of an infinite number of different settings, and only in one of those positions can the cover be removed. Further, there is no Stop shoulder of any type indicating by feel to the child the fact that he has at a particular time reached the proper removal setting; and the child will not normally notice the indication given of such setting by registry of opening 46 and dot 47. Even when in this proper setting, the lug 41 engages the narrow surface 26 on the container in a relation still preventing removal of the cover unless the cover is forced slightly past surface 26 and into and through notch 29.

An adult may remove the cover very simply by merely turning the cover to a position in which dot 47 is visible through opening 46, and then exerting a slight force upwardly against tab 45 of the cover, to an extent causing notch 40 to snap past shoulder surface 26 and into notch 29, and then move upwardly through the notch to the full line position of FIG. 4. After the cover has been swung to this position, about essentially the location of lug 41,

,that second lug may be moved radially out of groove 22 to the broken line position of FIG. 4, in lwhich the cover is completely separated from the container. It is noted that the various intertting parts of the cover and container are so dimensioned and proportioned as to allow for the discussed swinging removal and replacement motion of the cover relative to the container. It is also noted that, when the cover is in its applied position of FIG. 2, and is then turned through 180 degrees to a position in which lug 41 is beneath and opposite notch 29, the cover cannot be removed in this setting in view of the fact that lug 41 is longer circularly than notch 29. Thus, there is no possibility of removing the cover in any rotary setting except for the single setting illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a variational form of the invention which is very similar to that of FIGS. 1 to 4, except that the two locking lugs 40a and 41a formed on the outer surface of the container 11a, rather than on the inner surface of the depending skirt portion 37a of cover 13a. As in the rst form of the invention, lug 40a has a shorter circular extent than lug 41a (see FIG. 6), and both are receivable within an annular groove 22a formed within skirt 37a above an essentially annular flange 28a. Flange 28a `is interrupted circularly at only the location of a single notch 29a, which is of a circular extent corresponding to the circular extent of lug 40a, and substantially less than the circular extent of lug 41a. The notch has a camming surface 33a dimensioned to prevent movement of lug 40a through the notch and into groove 22a except by a snap action similar to that -discussed in connection with the first form of the invention. Above flange 28a, cover 13a has a surface 24a defining the bottom of groove 22a, and whose radially outer transverse portion 26a continues even at the location of notch 29a, to engage and retain lug 40a except when the lug is forced against the tendency of the snap action past surface or shoulder 26a and into the notch.

In applying the cover of FIG. 5, it is iirst moved laterally relative to and toward container 11a and to the broken line position of FIG. 5, so that lug 41a moves radially into groove 22a, following which the cover may be swung downwardly to advance lug 40a through notch 29a and into groove 22a, with the discussed snap action. The cover may then be turned to any of an yinfinite number of rotary settings, and in all of those settings except the single one illustrated in FIG. 5, the cover is locked against removal. As in the rst form of the invention, the proper removal setting may be indicated by alignment or registry of a viewing opening 46a with a dot 47a formed on the container.

I claim:

1. The combination comprising a container section for receiving a product and having an access opening, and a cover section for closing said openinlg and adpated to be turned about an axis relative to said container section, one of said sections having an essentially annular flange for engaging the other section about said opening, and the other section having tvvo lugs which are engageable with the flange at generally opposite sides of the opening in a relation holding the cover section on the container section, said ange containing a notch at one location dimen- `sioned and positioned to pass a 'first of said lulgs axially therethroughwhen the cover section is turned about said laxis to a predetermined removal setting,tthe second of said lugs being of a size larger than said tlirst lug preventing movement of said second lug axially through said notch in any rotary setting of the cover section, said ange having a portion engageable with said second lug when the cover section is turned to said removal setting and preventing movement of said second lng axially through the rtlange so that said rst lug can be moved through said notch only by swinging movement of the cover section relative to the container section to an an'gularly disposed position in which said second lug is then free for movement nadially out of interftting relation 'with the flange.

2. The combination as recited in claim 1, in which said ange is completely annular and uninterrupted except at the location of said notch.

3. The combination as recited in claim 1, including a tab on the outer side of said cover section at essentially the circular location of said iirst lug and said notch when they are in registry with one another and adapted to be engaged by a user in swinging said cover section to move said first lug through said notch.

4. The combination as recited in claim 1, including indicator means for indicating to a user when said cover section has been turned to said predetermined removal setting thereof.

5. The combination las recited in claim 1, including a marking on said container section and an opening in the cover section through Iwhich said marking is visible only in said predetermined removal setting of the cover section to indicate to a user when the cover section is in said setting.

6. The combination comprising a container section for receiving a product and having Van access opening, and a cover section for closing said opening, one of said sections having an essentially annular flange for engaging the other section about said opening, and the other section having ltwo lugs which are engageable vvith the flange at generally opposite sides of the opening in a relation holding the cover section on the container section, said tianlge containing a notch at one location dimensioned and positioned to pass a lirst of said lugs axially therethrough when the cover section is turned to a predetermined removal setting, the second of said lugs being of a larger size preventing movement thereof axially through said notch in any rotary setting of the cover section, said ange having a portion engageable with said second lug when the cover section is turned to said removal setting and preventing movement of said second lug axially through the tlange so that said rst lug can be moved through said notch only by swinging movement of the cover section relative to the container section to an angularly disposed position in Which said second lug is then free for movement radially out of intertitting relation with the flange, said notch being dimensioned to require slight resilient deformation of said iirst lug or a Wall of said notch in order to pass said lirst lug through the notch so that the iirst lug has a snap detenting action in p passing through the notch yieldingly resisting removal of the lirst lug through the notch.

7. The combination comprising a container section for receiving a product and having an access opening, and a cover section for closing said opening, one of said sections having an essentially annular ilange for engaging the other section about said opening, and the other section havinlg two lugs which are engageable with the flange at generally opposite sides of the openin g in a relation holding the cover section on the container section, said flange containing a notch at one location dirnensioned and positioned to pass a iirst of said lugs axially therethrough when the cover section is turned to :a predetermined removal setting, the second of said lugs being of a larger size preventing movement thereof axially through said notch in any rotary setting of the cover section, said flange having a portion engageable With said second lug when the cover section is turned to said removal setting and preventing movement ofsaid second lug axially through the rflange so that said rst lug can be moved through said notch only by swinging movement of the cover section relative to the container section to an angularly disposed position in which said second lug is then free for movement radially out of interlitting relation with the flange, said notch abeing dimensioned to require slight resilient deformation of said first lulg or a wall of said notch in order to pass said first lug through the notch so that the tirst lug has a snap dctenting action in passing through the notch yieldingly resisting removal of the irst lug through the notch, said wall of the notch having a cam surface which tapers gradually radially as it advances axially and which cams the first lug past the notch upon movement of the cover section in -a predetermined closing direction.

8. The combination comprising a container section for receiving a product and having an access opening, and a cover section for closing said opening, one of said sections having an essentially annular fiange for engaging the other section about said opening, and the other section having two lugs which are engageable with the fiange at generally opposite sides of the opening in a relation holding the cover section on the container section, said fiange containing a notch at one location dimensioned and positioned to pass a first of said lugs axially therethrough when the cover section is turned to a predetermined removal setting, the second of said lugs being of a larger size preventing movement thereof axially through said notch in any rotary setting of the cover section, said flange having a portion engageable with said second lug when the cover section is turned to said removal setting and preventing movement of said second lug axially through the ange so that said first lug can be moved through said notch only by swinging movement of the cover section relative to the container section to an angularly disposed position in which said second lug is then free for movement radially out of interfitting relation with the flange, said notch being dimensioned to require slight resilient deformation of said first lug or a wall of said notch in order to pass said first lug through the notch so that the first lug has a snap detenting action in passing through the notch yieldingly resisting removal of the first lug through the notch, said flange having a generally transverse surface which, even in said removal setting of the cover section, engages said first lug and resists axial movement thereof through the notch, but past which the first lug may be moved by application of a predetermined removal force.

9. The combination comprising a container section for receiving a product and having an access opening, and a cover section for closing said opening, one of said sections having an essentially annular flange for engaging the other section about said opening, and the other section having two lugs which are engageable with the flange at generally opposite sides of the opening in a relation holding the cover section on the container section, said flange containing a notch at one location dimensioned and positioned to pass a first of said lugs axially therethrough when the cover section is turned to a predetermined removal setting, the second of said lugs being of a larger size preventing movement thereof axially through said notch in any rotary setting of the cover section, said flange having a portion engageable with said second lug when the cover section is turned to said removal setting and preventing movement of said second lug axially through the flange so that said first lug can be moved through said notch only by swinging movement of the cover section relative to the container section to an angularly disposed position in which said second lug is then free for movement radially out of interfitting relation with the fiange, said notch being dimensioned to require slight resilient deformation of said first lug or a wall of said notch in order to pass said first lug through the notch so that the first lug has a snap detenting action in passing through the notch yieldingly resisting removal of the first lug through the notch, said wall of the notch having a cam surface which tapers gradually radially as it advances axially and which cams the first lug past the notch upon movement of the cover section in a predeter mined closing direction, said fiange having a generally transverse surface which, even in said removal setting of the cover section, engages said first lug and resists axial movement thereof through the notch, but past which the first lug may be moved by application of a predetermined 'emoval force.

10. The combination comprising a container section for receiving a product and having an access opening, and a cover section for closing said opening, one of said sec tions having an essentially annular flange for engaging the other section about said opening, and the other section `having two lugs lwhich are engageable with the fiange at generally opposite sides of the opening in a relation holding the cover section on the container section, said fiange containing a notch at one location dimensioned and positioned to pass a first of said lugs axially therethrough when the cover section is turned to a predetermined removal setting, the second of said lugs being of a larger size preventing movement thereof axially through said notch in any rotary setting of the cover section, said fiange having a portion engageable with said second lug when the cover section is turned to said removal setting and preventing movement of said second lug axially through the fiange so that said first lug can be moved through said notch only by swinging movement of the cover section relative to the container section to an angularly disposed position in which said second lug is then free for movement radially out of interfitting relation with the flange, said flange being completely annular and uninterrupted except at the location of said notch, there being a tab on the outer side of said cover section at essentially the circular location of said notch and said first lug when they are in registry with one another and adapted for engagement by a user in swinging said cover section to move said first lug through said notch, and indicator markings on said two sections for indicating to a user when said cover section has been turned to said removal setting, said notch being dimensioned to require slight resilient deformation of said first lug or a wall of said notch in order to pass said first lug through the notch so that the first lug has a snap detenting action in passing through the notch yieldingly resisting removal of the first lug through the notch, said wall of the notch having a cam surface which tapers gradually radially as it advances axially and which cams the first lug past the notch upon movement of the cover section in a predetermined closing direction, said flange having a generally transverse surface which, even in said removal setting of the cover section, engages said first lug and resists axially movement thereof through the notch, but past which the first lug may be moved by application of a predetermined removal force.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,908,413 10/1959 ODonrlell 215-9 3,017,049 1/1962 Powell 21S-44 3,067,899 12/1962 -Everett 21S-46 WILLIAM T. DIXSvON, JR., Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. XR. 

